Station-indicator



(No Model.)

0. 0. BALL.

' STATION INDICATOR.

No. 278,489. v Patented May--29, 1883.

I? .44 WITNESSES: 9/5

/6 JWM ATTORNEYS.

II II III If" H II,

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES 0. BALL, on LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,489, dated May 29,1883,

Application filed December 2, 1892. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BALL, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedStation-Indicator, of which the fol? lowing is a full,elear, and exactdescription.

The objectof the invention is to make certain improvements in astation-imlicator, as

. hereinafter described and claimed.

casing and the mechanism-frame.

' anism of the station-indicator, is provided in names of thestationscanbe seen.

of the stations are painted, printed, or other-' its front with a hingedor sliding door, 13, provided with a glass plate, 0, through which theThe names wise produced on a band or belt, I, which has its ends securedto rollers D, journaled in two end boards E, which are held in the endboards F of a frame, F, fitting within the easing or box A. Theband Ipasses over rollers G at the top and bottom front corners ofthe boardsE. Each roller D is provided with a pinion, H, adapted to en gage with acog-wheel, J, mounted on a shaft, K,journaled in the frame F, andprovided on the outer surface of one end board F with a ratchet-wheel,L. Two hook-pawls, M, held to slide on theend board of the frameF,,engage with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L atdiametrically-opposite points. The said hook-pawls are pressed towardthe edge of the ratchet-wheel by springs N surrounding them. Thehookpawls extend through the box or casing A, and are connected withcords reaching to the ends of the cars. The endboards E are provided onthe outer surfaces with pintles 0, which rest on angular plates S, heldon the'outer surfaces of the end boards F by thumb-screws P, passingthrough vertical slots Q in the said plates. The end boards F areprovided with recesses It, within which the pintles O are contained.

The rollers D are such a distance apart that the upper roller D. Everytime the rope connected with one of the hook-pawls M is pulled theratchet-wheel L will be rotated the distanee of one or more teeth in thedirection of its arrow, and the wheel Jisrotated in the same direction,whereby the upper roller D will be rotated in the direction of itsarrow. Thereby a part of the bandI is wound from the bottom roller D onthe upper roller D and another name will appear. behind the glass paneC. At the end of the line or section the end boards E are lowered, sothat the cog-wheel J engages with the pinion H of the bottom roller D,whereby the band I will be wound on the bottom roller D by pulling onthe rope connected with the hook-pawls M. The rollers D are lowered ifthe train runs back over the section; but if it continues in the samedirection over a new section another set of rollers D and correspondingband containing the names of the stations on the new section are placedin the casing A.

The device can be operated by a spring or springs instead of thepawl-and-ratchet mechanism shown; and notice of a change of cars andany'other information for thctravelin g public can be printed orproduced on the. band I.

I am aware" that there is nothing new in the case, the arrangement ofthe rolls, or the mechanism by which the band or belt is operated but iWhat I do claim as new and of my inven" tion is-- 1. In astation-indicator, the combination, 9

tended through the casing, whereby the mech- Ioo anism may be operatedfrom the outside, as described.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination,

with the end boards F, having recesses B, of

' 5 the movable end boards or roller-bearings E,

provided with the pintles O,the'angu1ar plates S, having vertical slotsQ, and the thumbscrews P, whereby the roller-bearings E may be locked intwo differentpositions, as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES 0. BALL. Witnesses:

PORTER N. BALL, ELMER E. PIPER.

